The Fifth Missile

"The Fifth Missile" is the story of a ballistic missile submarine that has been re-painted hastily, and as a result, its crew suffers from a toxic-induced neurosis. As a low-budget, made for TV movie, "The Fifth Missile" is reasonably interesting, and understandably cheesy. What saves "The Fifth Missile" from complete mediocrity is its all-star cast, which among others includes Robert Conrad, Richard Roundtree, and Sam Waterston.

The acting is top-notch, despite the limitations of plot, story, and budget. "The Fifth Missile" and its expressions of neurosis are particularly interesting, especially since the crew's reaction to wet, blue paint are similar to Star Trek: The Original Series' "Naked Now" episode. But in the final analysis, "The Fifth Missile" seems to be a relatively good effort on the part of the directors. Best if watched with an open mind.

Yes, it is a bit cheesy. But it's suspenseful and entertaining, and one of my favorites; there are some excellent actors in the film, and they do a commendable job given the limitations of plot and characters. It's interesting to see David Soul in a 'bad guy' role; I thought he was quite believable--and rather chilling--as the ever-more-paranoid CO. Robert Conrad is a long-time favorite--I think he brings his character to life very well; and Sam Waterston has been star quality in everything of his I've watched--movies or TV.

I watch this movie every so often but our tape (a VHS TV copy I got) is such poor quality it's difficult to fully enjoy it. This is a movie I think they should put out on DVD; maybe it wouldn't be universally sought after, but I'm sure there are lots of people like me out there who like this sort of film so there WOULD be a market for a DVD version. I'll keep hoping!

When I first saw this years ago on network TV, I knew the story seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember where I saw it. Then "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" was released on DVD and it came to me: there was an episode where a 'sister' submarine was destroyed and the Seaview was sent to investigate. Along the way the Admiral (Richard Basehart) becomes an unstable paranoid -- much like David Soul in "Fifth Missile". I forgot the specifics, but as with this movie the plot device of 'something in the air' is used to create a tense situation on the submarine.

Good performances from a solid cast of pros makes this an interesting TV movie. Had there been a larger budget this could have made an excellent theatrical film. Some obviously poor special effects and a dull soundtrack are overlooked because the plot's tension keeps things moving.

This film is ripe for DVD distribution.

Robert Conrad, a commander on a submarine, is called into The Pentagon for secret information about his next assignment. They tell him he's going to be involved in a test case mission: a pre-recorded tape is going to hidden aboard the vessel, and messages will be released to the crew in intervals to make them believe WW3 has started. The ship will then fire four dummy missiles at Russia, which will show that the United States is ready if the Cold War escalates. Only Robert Conrad, the ship's captain, David Soul, and a psychologist, Richard Roundtree, are aware that all the information is fake; the rest of the crew will think it's real! When the first messages start coming in and David Soul takes them seriously, it makes everyone question what's real and what's fake. . .

Believe it or not, that's the short version of a plot teaser. There's a lot more to the setup, but I wanted to tell you just enough to get you excited. The Fifth Missile is a very fun, exciting, suspenseful thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat during the entire ride—and I've already seen it twice! While the crew flounders underwater, each trying to hold onto their sanity, Sam Waterston and Yvette Mimieux try to solve the mystery from dry land. Even though this is a television movie from the 1980s, Eric Bercovici's script isn't as cheesy as one would expect. There are lots of twists and turns, and countless moments that will make you gasp. I highly recommend this psychological thriller, and since I'm deathly afraid of water and still enjoyed the movie, you can be sure it'll live up to my review.

This is one of my all-time favorite submarine movies, the other 2 being CRIMSON TIDE and HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. Having served on an SSBN it brings back lots of memories. And I just re-read the book. Great action and tense drama. Looking to get a copy of this. Hoped it'd come out on DVD, but so far it hasn't. I'd buy a copy of the movie on VHS if someone has a good copy, please email me.